Saturday, August 25, 2007

Since 1935, Mrs. Stahl's served knishes under the El at the corner of Coney Island Ave and Brighton Beach. It's been awhile since I was last there and I went in search of it today. I asked a couple of older Jewish ladies if they knew where I could find it.

"Oh, Mrs. Stahl's," said one wistfully, "I've been taking her since I was a little girl."

"It's gone," said the second lady, "It closed two years ago."

"No, it was three years ago."

"Was it three? Well, it's a Blimpie now."

"It's not a Blimpie. It's a Subway."

"Blimpie, Subway," the second lady shrugged, waving her cigarette, "What's the difference?"

My parents used to take me there as a kid (the 1970s), after visits to the chiropractor (Dr. Stanley Bass on Brighton Beach Blvd, who is evidently still kicking). To this day, I still crave kasha knishes. Mrs. Stahl's was definitely the best...

If I close my eyes I can still taste a Mrs Stahl's Kasha Knishe warmed in the toaster oven, the top always slightly burnt, and immediately I'm sitting on the vinyl seat at oil cloth covered table in the breakfast nook of my Nanny's kitchen in Marine Park. Sigh.

My mentor Dr. Edward Goldberg, from Cal State, Los Angeles, was born and raised in Brooklyn. May he rest in peace. We were driving together 22 years ago (1996) visiting universities from Virginia to Albany when he reminisced about growing up in Brooklyn. He and I loved food and his #1 memory was Mrs. Stahl's Knishes. I did all the driving and made the turn to heads over the Verrazano Narrows Bridge and find Mrs. Stahl's shop. We did not know whether the shop was still there and he got excited to see it was there. It was not yet open so we went to Nathan's Famous which he also reminisced about but not for the food but because his first job was at Nathan's. We ate some "Franks." He walked throughout Nathan's confirming that the counters were as he recalled them. He worked his way through Brooklyn College earning his living at Nathan's. Then we drove back to Mrs. Stahl's Knishes. He walked inside and he confirmed the aroma was the same. Once we were in the car with our box of Knishes he took a bite and was very happy to find "it's the same. It's the same recipe." I returned to Brooklyn twice since then. The first time Mrs. Stahl's Knishes was still in business but the second time I saw the sign was covered by another sign; my memory says it was pizza but...? After that I made a post on Chowhound asking whether anyone knew what happen to the brand and recipe. One person responded saying the owner of the brand still sells the Knishes using Mrs. Stahl's Knish recipe at a subway station further out Long Island. He named the station and said it was near the water with a tugboat in the bay there. I live in L.A. and have no idea which station. If anyone knows where it may be please contact me. Albert R. Killackey. ark@killackeylaw.com